KARACHI: The oncology unit of the government-run National Institute of Child Health (NICH) desperately needs support to build up a large treatment facility to accommodate the increasing number of patients reporting at the facility.

This was stated by Prof Nizamul Hasan, president of the Child Aid Association (CAA), while speaking at a ceremony held on Saturday morning in the NICH auditorium to celebrate the 16th foundation day of the unit.

The facility opened its door to the public in 1999 and since then is being run on donations generated by the CAA. Children suffering from cancer are provided free-of-cost diagnosis and treatment at the unit.

Highlighting the challenges faced by the NICH oncology unit, Prof Hasan, also the first director of the NICH said that the steady increase in the number of patients in recent years had made the existing accommodation at the centre insufficient.

“We also receive patients from Iran and Afghanistan. At times, the cancer ward is fully occupied and emergency patients have to be admitted to other NICH units, where the staff is not appropriately trained for managing such cases. Often, there is a waiting list for routine admissions,” Dr Hasan explained to the audience that largely comprised of families whose children have either recovered from cancer or are still under treatment at the unit.

The administration, he said, was looking for an area inside or close to the NICH (for expansion) so as to keep a contact with the premier institute for the purpose of teaching and training.

The second important issue, according to Dr Hasan, relates to patient families abandoning treatment for their children. “Last year, 16pc patients (of the 500 newly registered patients) either declined treatment or left treatment in the middle. This means a huge loss of life as well as of resources that could be used for treating other patients,” he said, adding that the CAA would appreciate support for building a hostel facility for patient attendants.

The government-run Baitul Mal should extend financial help to people in this regard, he suggested.

Rejecting misconceptions regarding cancer, he said that the disease was very much treatable if diagnosed at early stages and provided right treatment. About 60pc patients who were treated at the unit completely recovered. “Many of whom got married and have children now,” he said.

Dr Hasan expressed his gratitude to all donors as well as honorary consultants based abroad for supporting and helping the organisation that had so far served over one million children at the NICH since its inception in 1979.

Director of the NICH Jamal Raza lauded the services of the CAA and the donors that had made treatment of cancer free of cost possible. “Resources of public sector hospitals are very limited. Treating a complicated and costly disease like cancer free of cost and that, too, at a government-run facility is not easy and the medical staff and the donors deserve appreciation for that,” he said.

President of Faysal Bank Nauman Ansari, the chief guest, in his brief remarks admired the services of the CAA and said that he felt privileged to be associated with a great cause.

Later, sharing their sentiments, parents said that they were indebted to the hospital staff for taking good care of their children and providing free of cost treatment that they otherwise couldn’t afford.

“I cannot thank them in words. I still remember the days when my son’s condition was so bad that he was vomiting blood and I had no hope for his recovery. Now, after receiving treatment for two years, he has almost recovered from the disease,” said Safia Mubeen, mother of 13-year-old Ahsan suffering from acute leukemia.

The family lives in a rented house in Saddar.

Ms Mubeen requested that the generous people supporting this great cause should also consider extending their support to those young cancer patients who were good at their studies and wanted to continue it.

“Two of my children had to discontinue education because we couldn’t afford it. So, it’s my appeal for all poor children who have recovered from cancer that they should be provided with opportunities to pursue education,” she said.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2015

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